1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a document packing system for packing sorted documents into a pocket of a document sorting system having many pockets.
2. History of the Prior Art
In a recent application by the inventor entitled "Auger Jogger Assembly," Ser. No. 34,904, filed May 1, 1979, an auger was disclosed for each pocket in a document sorting system which cooperated with a stepper motor driven document flag in each pocket. The flag was incrementally stepped forward and backward by the stepper motor in response to document accumulation in the pocket.
The auger of the prior application had a first, raised, continuous helix for initially contacting the rear edge of a document sorted to the auger's pocket and a second, raised, continuous helix of a smaller diameter for moving documents, after the initial contact, further into the pocket. The auger would rotate about its axis when a stationary, electrical motor, located within the auger, was energized. Then, once each revolution, the leading edge of the first, raised helix would contact a document sorted to the auger's pocket. The rotating auger would move the document from the first helix to the second, raised helix and finally to a packed position against the stepper motor driven document flag. When a predetermined volume of documents accumulated in the pocket, the stepper motor was indexed outward a fixed distance so that additional documents could be accommodated. This procedure was repeated until the pocket was filled. (The device for sensing the full pocket is the subject of the commonly assigned patent application entitled, "Full Pocket Detector For Document Sorting Systems," by Andrew H. McMillan, filed May 7, 1979, Ser. No. 36,375.)
The present "Document Packing System" includes an improved auger jogger assembly, eliminates the dependence upon a stepper motor for moving the document flag, and greatly simplifies the detection of a full pocket.
The preferred embodiment of the improved auger has three, discontinuous, raised helicies which permit the engagement of a sorted document three times during each auger revolution rather than once as with the prior auger. As a result, the problems of the prior auger of maintaining the required high speed revolutions are effectively eliminated by the improved auger's ability to engage three times as many documents with each revolution. The improved auger has a smooth, concentric portion after the second raised helix to provide a running, frictional surface for guiding a sorted document into packed contact with previously sorted documents in the pocket.
The auger improvements led to the elimination of the stepper motor for moving the document flag in response to accumulating documents. As the specification discloses, the document flag is resiliently responsive to the packing of documents within the pocket. The auger, now located closer to the document flag, is able to supply the necessary moving force to drive sorted documents against the flag, overcome a spring retaining force on the flag, and move the flag outward to permit more documents to accumulate in the pocket. Likewise, when documents are withdrawn from the pocket, the retaining spring automatically retracts the flag to the flag's empty pocket position or against the documents remaining in the pocket. This flag system is necessarily simpler, more compact, more responsive to document packing, and less expensive than the prior art. In addition, a "Hall-Effect" sensor, responsive to the movement of the flag to indicate a full pocket condition, replaces the prior art's dust susceptible photo sensors. The present invention's sensor uses more reliable magnetic switching which is less vulnerable to the environmental conditions of the document sorting system.